973.7L63    Robinson,  Luther  Emerson 
K1923 

Lincoln's  Masterpieces 


LINCOLN  ROOM 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 


MEMORIAL 

the  Class  of  1901 

founded  by 

HARLAN  HOYT  HORNER 

and 

HENRIETTA  CALHOUN  HORNER 


TFie  Writings 

M 
Abraham  Lincoln 


Lincoln's   Masterpieces 

By 

Luther  Emerson  Robinson,  M.A. 

Professor  of  English  in  Monmouth  College 
Author  of  "A  History  of  Illinois" 

Abraham  Lincoln's  career  is  of  perennial  interest  to 
the  world  because  it  represents  a  high  personal  achieve- 
ment accomplished  under  severe  difficulties.  Such  an 
achievement,  entirely  possible  in  a  democracy,  excites 
admiration  among  every  generation  of  men.  So  signifi- 
cant is  his  position  in  history  that  we  preserve  every 
scrap  of  his  writing,  trivial  or  important,  and  perpetu- 
ate every  tale  or  tradition  that  promises  to  add  to  our 
memorial  of  the  man  and  his  performance.  For  many, 
his  utterances  on  public  questions  have  become  as 
touchstones  of  political  wisdom .  There  are  grounds  also 
for  believing  that  had  the  circumstances  of  his  life  fallen 
in  more  favorable  ways,  he  might  have  become  as  dis- 
tinguished in  the  field  of  letters  as  he  was  eminent  in 
statesmanship.  These  reasons  are  to  be  found  within 
that  large  body  of  letters,  addresses,  and  state  papers, 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

The  fame  of  the  Gettysburg  Address  has  subjected  it 
to  the  most  untiring  scrutiny  for  possible  antecedents 
of  ideas  and  phrasings.  Especially  has  the  oft-quoted 
last  clause  of  the  Address  invited  search  for  parallels. 
Herndon  found  among  Lincoln's  papers,  left  in  the  law 
office  at  Springfield  after  his  election  to  the  Presidency, 
a  pamphlet  containing  a  sermon  delivered  by  Theodore 
Parker,  at  Boston,  July  4,  1858.  The  sermon  contains 
the  following  sentence,  marked  in  the  margin:  " de- 
mocracy is  Direct  Self-Government,  over  all  the  people, 
by  all  the  people,  for  all  the  people."  In  another  place 
in  the  sermon,  substantially  the  same  phrasing  is 
marked  in  the  Lincoln  copy.  Lincoln's  fine  words  may 
have  been  reminiscent  of  his  reading  of  Parker's  ser- 
mon. Eight  years  before  (1850),  Parker  had  used 
virtually  the  same  description  of  democracy  in  a  speech 
before  the  New  England  Anti-Slavery  convention. 
Webster,  in  his  second  speech  on  Foot's  Resolution, 
January  26,  1830,  had  used  substantially  the  same  lan- 
guage. It  is  possible  to  trace  similar  phrasing  elsewhere, 
as  far  back  as  the  preface  of  Wycliffe's  Bible  (1384). 
Mr.  Isaac  Markens,  of  New  York  City,  in  "Lincoln's 
Masterpiece,"  privately  printed,  exhibits  a  few  inter- 
esting resemblances  between  Everett's  Oration  and 
Lincoln's  Address  at  Gettysburg,  and  points  out  that 
although  Everett  sent  his  Oration  to  Lincoln  before  the 
dedication  took  place,  the  "parallelisms  may  be  ex- 
plained as  mere  coincidences."     Whatever  may  be  the 


The  Writings  of  ^Abraham  Lincoln 

antecedents  of  the  great  Address  in  Lincoln's  mind,  he 
gave  to  the  idea  a  character  as  literature  as  truly  as 
Shakespeare  created  literature  out  of  the  originals  of 
the  "Merchant  of  Venice"  and  "Hamlet." 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


The  Gettysburg  Address 

DELIVERED   AT    THE    DEDICATION   OF    THE    NATIONAL    CEMETERY. 

NOV.    19,    1863 

Fourscore  and  seven  years  ago,  our  fathers  brought 
forth  on  this  continent  a  new  nation,  conceived  in 
liberty,  and  dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  all  men 
are  created  equal. 

Now  we  are  engaged  in  a  great  civil  war,  testing 
whether  that  nation,  or  any  nation  so  conceived  and  so 
dedicated,  can  long  endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great 
battle  field  of  that  war.  We  have  come  to  dedicate  a 
portion  of  that  field  as  a  final  resting-place  for  those 
who  here  gave  their  lives  that  that  nation  might  live. 
It  is  altogether  fitting  and  proper  that  we  should  do 
this. 

But  in  a  larger  sense  we  cannot  dedicate — we  cannot 
consecrate — we  cannot  hallow — this  ground.  The 
brave  men,  living  and  dead  who  struggled  here  have 
consecrated  it  far  above  our  poor  power  to  add  or  de- 
tract. The  world  will  little  note  nor  long  remember 
what  we  say  here,  but  it  can  never  forget  what  they  did 
here.  It  is  for  us,  the  living,  rather,  to  be  dedicated 
here  to  the  unfinished  work  which  they  who  fought  here 
have  thus  far  so  nobly  advanced.  It  is  rather  for  us  to 
be  here  dedicated  to  the  great  task  remaining  before  us 
— that  from  these  honored  dead  we  take  increased  de- 
votion to  that  cause  for  which  they  gave  the  last  full 
measure  of  devotion ;  that  we  here  highly  resolve  that 
these  dead  shall  not  have  died  in  vain ;  that  this  nation, 
under  God,  shall  have  a  new  birth  of  freedom;  and  that 
government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the 
people,  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth. 


The  Writings  of  Jlbraham  Lincoln 

The  Second  Inaugural  marks  the  high  water  level  of 
Lincoln's  individuality  in  preparing  a  state  paper.  It 
is  far  removed  from  the  conventionality  usually  em- 
ployed on  such  an  occasion.  It  embodies  the  feeling 
and  language  of  religion  with  remarkable  freedom.  It 
illustrates  brilliantly  the  character  of  his  own  mind  and 
heart,  and  affords  an  example  of  his  ability  to  trust  and 
divine  the  soul  of  the  people  he  addressed.  His  fine 
humility  was  united  with  great  dignity  and  frankness. 
His  love  of  direct  thought  was  linked  up  with  an  unusual 
appreciation  of  good  taste  in  speech.  The  Address  is  a 
perfect  revelation  of  the  man  and  his  widened  horizon  as 
he  emerged  from  the  darker  days  of  the  rebellion .  He  had 
grown  greater  in  the  midst  of  tragic  experience.  His 
poise  had  become  even  firmer,  and  his  outlook  spirit- 
ually refined.  He  had  lent  himself  nobly  to  the  per- 
fection to  be  found  in  suffering. 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


The  Second  Inaugural 

WASHINGTON,    MARCH    4,    1 865 

Fellow  Countrymen:  At  this  second  appearing  to 
take  the  oath  of  the  presidential  office,  there  is  less  oc- 
casion for  an  extended  address  than  there  was  at  the 
first.  Then  a  statement,  somewhat  in  detail,  of  a 
course  to  be  pursued,  seemed  fitting  and  proper.  Now, 
at  the  expiration  of  four  years,  during  which  public 
declarations  have  been  constantly  called  forth  on  every 
point  and  phase  of  the  great  contest  which  still  ab- 
sorbs the  attention  and  engrosses  the  energies  of  the  na- 
tion, little  that  is  new  could  be  presented.  The  progress 
of  our  arms,  upon  which  all  else  chiefly  depends,  is  as 
well  known  to  the  public  as  to  myself;  and  it  is,  I  trust, 
reasonably  satisfactory  and  encouraging  to  all.  With 
high  hope  for  the  future,  no  prediction  in  regard  to  it  is 
ventured. 

On  the  occasion  corresponding  to  this  four  years 
ago,  all  thoughts  were  anxiously  directed  to  an  im- 
pending civil  war.  All  dreaded  it — all  sought  to  avert 
it.  While  the  inaugural  address  was  being  delivered 
from  this  place,  devoted  altogether  to  saving  the  Union 
without  war,  insurgent  agents  were  in  the  city  seeking 
to  destroy  it  without  war — seeking  to  dissolve  the 
Union,  and  divide  effects,  by  negotiation.  Both  parties 
deprecated  war;  but  one  of  them  would  make  war 
rather  than  let  the  nation  survive ;  and  the  other  would 
accept  war  rather  than  let  it  perish.  And  the  war 
came. 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

One-eighth  of  the  whole  population  were  colored 
slaves,  not  distributed  generally  over  the  Union,  but 
localized  in  the  southern  part  of  it.  These  slaves  con- 
stituted a  peculiar  and  powerful  interest.  All  knew 
that  this  interest  was,  somehow,  the  cause  of  the  war. 
To  strengthen,  perpetuate,  and  extend  this  interest 
was  the  object  for  which  the  insurgents  would  rend  the 
Union,  even  by  war;  while  the  government  claimed  no 
right  to  do  more  than  to  restrict  the  territorial  enlarge- 
ment of  it. 

Neither  party  expected  for  the  war  the  magnitude  or 
the  duration  which  it  has  already  attained.  Neither 
anticipated  that  the  cause  of  the  conflict  might  cease 
with,  or  even  before,  the  conflict  itself  should  cease. 
Each  looked  for  an  easier  triumph,  and  a  result  less 
fundamental  and  astounding.  Both  read  the  same 
Bible,  and  prayed  to  the  same  God ;  and  each  invokes  His 
aid  against  the  other.  It  may  seem  strange  that  any 
men  should  dare  to  ask  a  just  God's  assistance  in  wring- 
ing their  bread  from  the  sweat  of  other  men's  faces;  but 
let  us  judge  not,  that  we  be  not  judged.  The  prayers 
of  both  could  not  be  answered — that  of  neither  has  been 
answered  fully. 

The  Almighty  has  his  own  purposes.  "Woe  unto 
the  world  because  of  offenses !  for  it  must  needs  be  that 
offenses  come;  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  the  of- 
fense cometh."  If  we  shall  suppose  that  American 
slavery  is  one  of  those  offenses  which,  in  the  providence 
of  God,  must  needs  come,  but  which,  having  continued 
through  his  appointed  time,  he  now  wills  to  remove, 
and  that  he  give's  to  both  North  and  South  this  terrible 
war,  as  the  woe  due  to  those  by  whom  the  offense  came, 
shall  we  discern  therein  any  departure  from  those 
divine  attributes  which  the  believers  in  a  living  God 
always  ascribe  to  him?  Fondly  do  we  hope — fer- 
vently do  we  pray — -that  this  mighty  scourge  of  war  may 
speedily  pass  away.    Yet,  if  God  wills  that  it  continue 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

until  all  the  wealth  piled  by  the  bondsman's  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  of  unrequitted  toil  shall  be  sunk, 
and  until  every  drop  of  blood  drawn  with  the  lash  shall 
be  paid  by  another  drawn  with  the  sword,  as  was  said 
three  thousand  years  ago,  so  still  it  must  be  said,  "The 
judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and  righteous  alto- 
gether." 

With  malice  toward  none ;  with  charity  for  all ;  with 
firmness  in  the  right,  as  God  gives  us  to  see  the  right, 
let  us  strive  on  to  finish  the  work  we  are  in ;  to  bind  up 
the  nations  wounds;  to  care  for  him  who  shall  have 
borne  the  battle,  and  for  his  widow,  and  his  orphan — 
to  do  all  which  may  achieve  and  cherish  a  just  and  last- 
ing peace  among  ourselves,  and  with  all  nations. 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


The  Constitutional  Edition 

of 

The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

including 
the  full  text  of  the  Lincoln-Douglas  Debates 

together  with 
the  Essay  on  Lincoln,  by  CARL  SGHURZ, 
the  Address  on  Lincoln,  by  JOSEPH  H.  CHOATE, 
and  the  Life  of  Lincoln,  by  NOAH  BROOKS 

Edited  by 

Arthur  Brooks  Lapsley 

With  an  Introduction  by 

Theodore  Roosevelt 

The  Publishers  of  the  Writings  of  the  Founders  take 
pleasure  in  calling  attention  to  this  edition  of  the 
Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  forming  a  set  of  eight 
volumes.  The  works  of  Lincoln  hold  a  deservedly  high 
place  in  American  literature  and  the  Constitutional 
Edition  was  planned  with  the  object  of  presenting  them 
in  a  handsome  library  edition,  at  a  moderate  price. 

Theodore  Roosevelt  found  himself  personally  in- 
terested in  the  undertaking,  and  prepared  for  the  set 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

a  Foreword  in  which  he  presented  for  Americans  of  the 
Twentieth  Century,  his  estimate  of  the  character  of 
Lincoln  and  of  the  nature  of  Lincoln's  service  to  his 
country  and  to  mankind. 

The  Constitutional  Edition  also  contains  the  Es- 
say on  Lincoln  by  Carl  Schurz  and  the  Address  by 
Joseph  H.  Choate.  Mr.  Schurz  gave  a  brilliant  critical 
estimate  of  Lincoln  and  fixed  his  positi6n  in  history. 
Mr.  Choate's  address  was  one  of  the  most .  important 
tributes  to  Lincoln's  greatness.  In  sympathetic  and 
graceful  language  he  described  the  character  and  the 
deeds  which  made  Lincoln  *  *  One  of  the  great  benefac- 
tors, not  of  his  own  country  alone,  but  of  the  human 
race." 

One  volume  of  the  set  is  devoted  to  the  Life  of 
Lincoln,  by  Noah  Brooks,  which  has  been  accepted  as 
the  standard  biography  of  Lincoln,  presenting  in  com- 
pact narrative  a  sober,  discriminating  record  of  Lin- 
coln's public  services  and  private  life. 

The  Writings  of  Lincoln  cover  his  public  addresses, 
letters,  and  other  documents,  together  with  a  large 
number  of  more  personal  letters  and  speeches. 

The  editing  of  this  important  set  was  entrusted  to 
Mr.  Arthur  Brooks  Lapsley,  a  graduate  of  Harvard 
University,  and  a  student  of  American  history.  Be- 
sides his  scholarly  knowledge,  Mr.  Lapsley  brought  to 
this  work,  what  the  publishers  considered  even  more 
essential,  an  intelligent  enthusiasm  for  the  subject. 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

The  Editor  was  able  to  secure  for  this  edition,  from 
Historical  Associations  and  through  the  courtesy  of 
private  collectors,  certain  interesting  and  important 
material  not  before  brought  into  print  in  book  form. 

The  Editor  contributed  to  the  first  volume  a  brief 
preface  defining  the  purpose  of  the  Edition,  explaining 
the  arrangement  which  has  been  followed  and  empha- 
sizing the  great  value  and  significance  of  Lincoln's 
Writings.  He  has  supplied  occasional  brief  footnotes 
throughout  the  text  which,  without  making  the  work 
pedantic,  or  introducing  a  jarring  note,  will  elucidate 
difficult  passages  and  call  the  reader's  attention  to 
interesting  facts. 


The  Writings  of  Abraham  Lincoln 


At  the  close  of  his  biography,  Mr.  Noah  Brooks  gives 
an  appreciation  of  Lincoln,  which  is  the  more  valuable 
because  Mr.  Brooks  wrote  from  the  point  of  view  of  a 
personal'  acquaintance.  "The  author  of  this  brief 
biography  has  imperfectly  carried  out  his  purpose  if  he 
has  failed  to  show  how  the  character  of  Lincoln  was 
developed  and  shaped  by  his  early  training;  how  he 
was  raised  up  and  fitted,  in  the  obscure  seclusion  of 
humble  life,  by  the  providence  of  God,  for  a  special  and 
peculiar  service ;  how  he  became  the  type,  flower,  and 
representative  of  all  that  is  worthily  American ;  how  in 
him  the  commonest  of  human  traits  were  blended  with 
an  all-embracing  charity  and  the  highest  human  wis- 
dom; and  how,  with  single-hearted  devotion  to  the 
right,  he  lived  unselfishly,  void  of  selfish  personal 
ambition,  and,  dying  tragically,  left  a  name  to  be 
remembered  with  love  and  honor  as  one  of  the  best  and 
greatest  of  mankind." 


Abraham  Lincoln  37 

The  growth  and  development  of  Lincoln's  mental 
power  and  moral  force,  of  his  intense  and  magnetic 
personality,  after  the  vast  responsibilities  of  govern- 
ment were  thrown  upon  him  at  the  age  of  fifty-two, 
furnish  a  rare  and  striking  illustration  of  the  marvel- 
lous capacity  and  adaptability  of  the  human  intellect 
— of  the  sound  mind  in  the  sound  body.  He  came 
to  the  discharge  of  the  great  duties  of  the  Presidency 
with  absolutely  no  experience  in  the  administration 
of  government,  or  of  the  vastly  varied  and  com- 
plicated questions  of  foreign  and  domestic  policy 
which  immediately  arose,  and  continued  to  press 
upon  him  during  the  rest  of  his  life ;  but  he  mastered 
each  as  it  came,  apparently  with  the  facility  of  a 
trained  and  experienced  ruler.  As  Clarendon  said 
of  Cromwell,  ''His  parts  seemed  to  be  raised  by  the 
demands  of  a  great  station." 

His  life  through  it  all  was  one  of  intense  labor, 
anxiety,  and  distress,  without  one  hour  of  peaceful 
repose  from  first  to  last.  But  he  rose  to  every 
occasion.  He  led  public  opinion,  but  did  not  march 
so  far  in  advance  of  it  as  to  fail  of  its  effective  support 
in  every  great  emergency.  He  knew  the  heart  and 
thought  of  the  people  as  no  man  not  in  constant 
and  absolute  sympathy  with  them  could  have  known 
it,  and  so,  holding  their  confidence,  he  triumphed 
through  and  with  them. 

Not  only  was  there  this  steady  growth  of  intellect, 
but  the  infinite  delicacy  of  his  nature  and  its  capacity 
for  refinement  developed  also,  as  exhibited  in  the 
purity  and  perfection  of  his  language  and  style  of 
speech.     The  rough  backwoodsman,  who  had  never 

From  the  Address  by  Joseph  H.  Choate 
SAMPLE  PAGE  FROM  THE  CONSTITUTIONAL  EDITION 


Each  Volume  6  x  9  by  l}4  inches 
Shipping  weight  of  set  16  lbs. 


Description 

The  photograph  above  necessarily  gives  but  an  imperfect  idea 
of  the  beauty  and  richness  of  the  volumes. 

The  paper  used  in  the  Constitutional  Edition 
is  of  splendid  quality,  manufactured  to  order  for 
this  set.  This  paper  is  a  rare  combination  of 
lightness  and  strength,  soft  and  agreeable  to  the 
eye  and  the  touch,  yet  sufficiently  firm  to  develop 
the  letterpress  to  the  utmost  perfection. 

In  genuine  buckram  with  gold  tops  and  head- 
bands, and  backs  stamped  in  gold,  with  contrasting 
labels. 

Printing  In  the  best  style  of  <E%e  Knickerbocker  $re$£, 

noted  for  the  fine  quality  of  its  workmanship. 

Illustrations  Each  volume  has  a  frontispiece  in  genuine  photo- 
gravure on  plate  paper.  Seven  of  these  show 
Lincoln  at  various  periods  in  his  life.  Some  of 
them  are  from  rare  portraits  reproduced  by 
special  permission. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS -URBANA 
973.7L63K1923  C001 

LINCOLN'S  MASTERPIECES  NEW  YORK? 


3  0112  031830398 


